Cazza has revealed plans to begin constructing the world’s first 3D-printed skyscraper in Dubai within the next five years.

The 3D-printing company’s chief executive officer, Chris Kelsey, who has designed the 3D-printed structure, will reveal further details of the record-breaking project at The Big 5 2017 exhibition in November.

Speaking to the event’s organiser, dmg Events Middle East, Asia & Africa, Kelsey said that 3D-priting technology would result in a more efficient and cost-effective approach to regional building design.

He also noted that Dubai is well placed to become the “next hub of the world-changing innovation”.

“3D printing means a total disruption [in terms of] how we build with concrete,” said Kelsey. “We are no longer bound to straight shapes or to moulds, nor labour-intensive methods that represent safety risks for workers. We are able to design any shape that you can think of, increasing creativity and pushing the limits of architecture.

“Using topology optimisation and the freedom given by 3D printing with design, we can make longer structures using less material,” Kelsey added, emphasising the related environmental benefits of the technology.

Cazza is currently collaborating with architects to create a new approach to housing, while focussing on safety, sustainability, and cost efficiency. In addition to building the world’s first 3D-printed skyscraper in Dubai, Kelsey stated that he is committed to supporting the emirate’s vision to 3D-print 25% of all of its buildings by 2030, and to ensure that 30% of regional construction companies are using his company’s technology within the next five years.

“We are now able to make structures that blend with the environment,” Cazza’s CEO told The Big 5’s organisers. “We can easily create structures that take advantage of the local wind flow, provide natural cooling for the interior, save energy, and reduce the carbon footprint of our buildings.

At the moment, all those features are essentially luxuries, as the labour and tooling required [must] be customised. This is something that, with 3D printing, does not represent an issue.

“The capacity to make a square or a circle with the same cost – this means that we are here facing a new paradigm, where we are not bound by complexity but by approach,” he commented.

Kelsey will deliver his presentation ‘Tomorrow is Here: Discover First Hand All You Need to Know About 3D Printing in Construction’ during The Big 5 2017’s Excellence in Construction Summit on 26 November. During the course of his speech, he will address topics including 3D-printing robots, and the economic impact of the fledgling technology.

In addition to Kelsey, the Excellence in Construction Summit will feature presentations from Expo 2020 Dubai, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, and Sobha Group.

The Big 5 2017 will take place from 26-29 November at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).